#PuberMe Challenge: Reese Witherspoon Shares ‘Awkward’ Photo To Support Puerto Rico Relief

Reese Witherspoon is joining the growing list of celebrities showing off their awkward teen photos to support the Hurricane Maria relief effort in Puerto Rico.

Witherspoon, 41, shared a more adorable than awkward throwback photo of herself to Instagram on Friday to support Nick Kroll and Stephen Colbert’s #PuberMe challenge.

“There’s catharsis in showing who we were and what we became,” Kroll, 39, said during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wednesday. Colbert, 53, then raised the stakes on the challenge by pledging to make a donation from his Americone Dream Fund toward Hurricane Maria relief in Puerto Rico for every celebrity participant and Kroll promised to match each donation.

Celebrities that joined the cause before Witherspoon include Busy Philipps, Jimmy Kimmel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gina Rodriguez, Sarah Silverman, Lena Dunham, Andy Cohen and many more.

“Here you go @nickkroll…,” The Big Little Lies actress captioned the photo on Instagram. “Giant glasses, awkward hands, feeling 14! All for a good cause. God Bless Puerto Rico. #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief.”

Comedian Chelsea Handler followed suit and shared her own awkward photo from her pageant days. Handler, 42, is seen in a blue satin gown with a “Teen of America” sash and some major ’80s hair and bangs.

“My awkward phase came in my early 40s,” Handler remarked in the caption.

The #PuberMe challenge is just one of many ways that celebrities are urging people to help the relief effort in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria battered the island on Sept. 20^th with wind speeds of 155 mph. The destructive gusts ripped roofs off buildings and trees from the ground and caused massive flooding throughout. Maria is the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. territory since 1932 and has claimed sixteen lives and left millions more without homes.

Much of the island is left without electricity and must rely on backup generators. Experts say it could take up to a half a year to completely restore power to the 3.5 million people that live there. Cell phone service has also been completely shut down.

Carlos Mercader, a spokesman for Puerto Rico’s governor spoke of the devastation to CNN. “Puerto Rico, in terms of the infrastructure, will not be the same… This is something of historic proportions.”

Although the storm’s death toll stands at 16, experts estimate that without electricity and supplies, that number could easily increase into the thousands.